To want to eat as a family?

[Rose789]

Dh has again said how much he prefers eating later then we currently we do and thinks it’s silly that we all sit down for tea the minute he walks in the door. We have two kids aged 5 and almost 2.
Dp finishes work at 4.45 and works 10 minutes from home. I work 7-3.15 from home. I pick the kids up from school and nursery at 3.30 and 3.45 home for 4. Cook tea and me and the kids are normally starving by 5pm when he gets in.
He would prefer to relax and unwind and then have tea around 7pm. I think it’s so important to sit down as a family together and honestly mealtimes are my favourite time of the day when we are all together and get to talk about our day. It helps the kids try new food, helps table manners and conversation skills.
Dh would happy to join us at the table and then just eat his meal reheated later on. But it just seems anti social to me.
One day a week the kids have an easy tea- beans on toast or something similar when I go to my dads. I grab something later and dh sorts out his once the kids are in bed. I hate it and miss the family time, Dh loves it.
Do you sit together as a family for mealtimes?
Thoughts are most welcome

YABU- eating together doesn’t matter
YANBU- family meals are important

I think your being unreasonable that dh cant just sot and then table with you all then eat later. Sounds like perfect solution

Sit - sot

Why don't you and the kids have a snack around 4.30 and you all eat together at 6/6.30om and everyone is happy.

Cant you give the kids a snack then have dinner at 6.30pm? 5pm is too early for most adults to eat dinner and need time to un wind a bit after work.

Have a snack at 5 then dinner about 6-6.30.

5 is far too early for an adult, I'd be hungry again by bedtime.

We sat together every meal time when i was growing up. I know we did and my mum reminds me of it but I can't remember it. I don't do it now.

We do but we eat at 5.30pm - 6pm. Kids are 4 and 6. Kids have a snack (fruit or carrot sticks, only sometimes a biscuit) when they get home from school. Then upstairs for bath at 7pm. If we go out for dinner then they can wait until 7pm and have a later bedtime.

I always ate with my parents as a child and believe it's really important. The kids eat better when we eat with them and it helps with manners, conversation and family togetherness.

I wouldn't want to eat at 5pm though or I'd be eating my own arm by 10pm.

YABU I wouldn't want to get in from work and eat straight away

I think the happy medium would be a couple of nights where the kids eat earlier and you eat later.

5pm is much too early for adults to eat. When I had young children, I gave them snacks after school. Then we all ate 6:30 ish

When my kids were that age then ate at 5pm and DH and I ate later (or more accurately, I ate on my own and he wasn’t back from work until way too late to eat!). Now they are older, we all eat together.

I think 5pm is pretty early to eat if you’re not a young child!

The youngest goes to bed at 7 and the older at 7.30 if we ate at 6.30 they wouldn’t be in bed until at least 8.30.

5pm is very early for dinner for an adult!

@Rose789

The youngest goes to bed at 7 and the older at 7.30 if we ate at 6.30 they wouldn’t be in bed until at least 8.30.

So feed the kids at 5, you and DH eat at 7.

You can start all eating as a family in a few years when they're a bit older.

That sounds way too early for me to have dinner, so l see why he feels like that. 5pm is very early, most people haven’t finished worked by that time. Never mind got home

I think yabu, especially as you say Dh would happy to join us at the table and then just eat his meal reheated later on. But it just seems anti social to me.

Must agree with everyone, 5 is too early. We eat together (when DP is back which is not every night) at 6ish. Toddler in bed 7.30/45.

I love eating together, but 5pm is very early. Agree with pp - have a snack and then eat at around 6 - 6.30pm. If you really can't wait, then at least your DH has said he'll sit at the table, which is better than not being there at all...

I couldn’t eat at 5, that’s unreasonable. Let him have a snack then eat dinner later.

Give the kids a snack at 4pm then eat at 6pm as a family.

I wouldn't want my main meal at 5pm as an adult. I like to eat as a family, but it has to work for all - and I really don't want my evening meal the minute I walk through the door.

Why cant you and DH have a snack whilst the DC eat ( something like veg sticks so they aren't hassling for biscuits) and then you and DH eat at a sensible time?

When the children were younger we would sit and eat the same food as them but a small snack size portion for me and Dh. This was about 5.30pm.

Then later when the children were in bed we would eat a proper full sized dinner together.

It is hard to eat that early when you are not that hungry but all sitting together round a table to eat "dinner" was important to us hence the small snack portion for me and Dh.

We still eat a family dinner at the table but now it is 7pm but the children are teenagers.

Chane their bedtimes by half an hour and speed up your bed time routine?

What age are your children? I think 5pm is very early to eat unless the children are very young. I would try and compromise by moving dinner to 6pm/6.30pm. The alternative is feeding the children at 5pm if they are very young and then eating with your husband later. I often used to do this but would sit with the kids and have a cup of tea/chat whilst they ate theirs early.

We’ve never eaten at 5. I always give a piece of fruit as a snack at pick up or when home then eat around 6. 5 is too early and I’d hate to walk through the door and have to sit down and eat.